Well screen



April 1942- c. E. RECORDS 2,281,326

WELL 5 GREEN Filed Aug. 15, 1940 Patented Apr. 28, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WELL $CREEN Chester E. Records, Columbus, Ohio Application August 15, 1940, Serial No. 352,734

sciaims. ((31.166-5) This invention is directed to an improvement in well screens designed particularly for use in water wells and constructed with a view to afford the maximum water flow through the screens and presenting the minimum liability of clogging of the screen in use.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a screen of rectangular bars arranged at an angle to a line tangent to the circular outline of the screen to thereby present a minimum obstructing area to the direct inflow of the water. i

A further object of the invention is to provide through the utilization of the rectangular bars a means which, simply through their relatively angular adjustment in the initial formation of the screen, desired variations in the area of water intake may be provided in the particular screen, without sacrificing any of the advantages of the rectangular bars.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of means which, through a slight deformation of the bars at the ends of the screen section and at the center or other parts if desired and necessary, the bars may be rigidly united in screen forming relation while at the same time providing for the connection of the successive screen sections together to form a screen unit of the desired length.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a broken view in elevation showing two connected screen sections, each of which is constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a broken top plan view on an enlarged scale of one of the sections showing the means for deforming the section for securing the bars in rigid relation.

Figure 3 is an enlarged broken view in elevation showing the bars in deformed relation with the holding rings applied thereto for maintaining the bars in screen form.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing a modified means for securing the bars together.

Figure 6 is a broken elevation of the same.

The improved screen is made up of a series of rectangular bars I which are, of course, disposed to form the conventional circular form of the screen as a whole and of the requisite screen diameter. The bars are arranged in spaced relation with their relative narrow end surfaces 2 and 3 at the outside and inside of the screen,

and their side surfaces 4 and 5 in relatively parallel relation, as clearly shown in Figure 4.

The bars are disposed at an angle to the tangent of the circular outline of the screen so that the outstanding portion of each bar is a sharp edge indicated at 6, from which the forward narrow edge 2 and the adjacent longer side edge 5 incline relative to the diameter of the screen passing through such edge 6.

As the edges 6 of the bars form in effect the,-

extreme outer surface of the screen, it is apparent that the direct inflow of the water is divided without obstruction bythis edge 6 and is further unobstructed against inflow to the screen by the inclined surfaces 2 and 5. Furthermore, the sharp edge 7 at the edge of the surface 2, opposite the edge 6, and the corre-' sponding rear sharp edge 8 of the adjacent bar avoid the provision of any extended flattened areas which might tend to impede the passage of a pebble, from the pebble wall of the well, through the screen. In other words, by this ar-. rangementany pebble which might enter the space will, by reason of these sharpened edges, pass to the interior of the screen, as there is no extended flat surface which will frictionally grip and retain such pebbles.

The bars are assembled in proper angular relation and in appropriate number to form the screen of desired size and are then provided with means whereby they may be rigidly held in deformed relation. In Figures 2 and 3 this particular form consists in deforming the respective ends of the bars so that such ends, indicated at 9 in Figures 2 and 3, are turned at an angle to the remaining lengths of the bars so that the deformed portions present a circular plane circumscribing the screen. In this relation the outer surfaces In of the deformed areas present the elongated flat sides of the bars, and a ring II is welded to these flat areas.

If desired, and as preferred, the bars I at one or more intermediate lengths, may be likewise deformed, as indicated at I2 in Figure 3, to present flat surfaces in the same circumferential plane corresponding to the deformed areas at the ends of the bars. A securing band I3 can then be welded to the deformed areas in the intermediate lengths of the bars, and thus the bars through the respective securing means described may be rigidly held in screen forming relation. It will, of course, be appreciated that the securing rings occupy but a comparatively short part of the length of the screen section, and that throughout the remaining portion the bars are arranged as shown in Figure 4 and present an unusually enlarged total area for the intake of the water.

Where the screens are made in sections and assembled in alignment to present a screen unit of desired length, the upper securing ring I I will be arranged on the outside of the bars I, while the lower securing ring I4 will be arranged on the inner side of the deformed portion of the bars I, as indicated at I4 in Figure 1. This will provide, as indicated in Figure 1, 'a means for conveniently assembling the respective sections in alignment, provision being made, of course, for securing the rings where interfitting against separation.

In Figures 5 and 6 there is illustrated a slightly modified form for uniting the bars in rigid relation. Here the bars indicated at I5 have interposed similarly shaped blocks I6 of very short lengths lengthwise the bars I5, with the bars I8 fitting between the bars it: at appropriate intervals throughout the length of the screenwith said bars l5 and I6 welded togetherto make a rigid connection. Of course, in this form means corresponding'to the rings II and IE are preferably provided for connecting the screen sections in alignment, and this may be accomplished either by deforming the ends of the bars as shown in Figure '2, or in otherwise applying the rings to the undeformed ends-of the bars.

An important feature of the present invention is that the bars present only a sharpened edge against the direct inflow of the water, and that other water-engaging surfaces present no abrupt areas to such inflow, but only inclined areas.

A particularly important characteristicof the invention is that without changeflinthe structural elements the bars I may be'disposecl at'different angles to :the tangential line and thus vary the inflow opening of the water and thereby change the intake capacity of the screen as conditions may require. Even in this angular change, however, the bars are not varied from the edge presentation to the inflow of the water.

What I claim as new is:

1. A well screen comprising a series of rectangular bars extending vertically throughout the length of the screen and each arranged at an angle to the coincident tangential line of the screen, the ends of the bars being deformed to cause such ends to be arranged in circumferential alignment, and rings secured to the flat sides of the deformed ends.

2. A well screen made up of vertically extending rectangular bars arranged in spaced relation and at an angle to the coincidental tangential line of the screen, the upper and lower ends of the bars being deformed to present surfaces in circular alignment, a ring secured to the said surfaces at the upper end of the screen, and a ring secured to the said surfaces at the lower end of the screen, whereby similar screen sections may be interfitted to present an aligned screen unit.

'3; A construction as defined in claim 1 wherein an intermediate portion of the screen bars is deformed to present a series of flat surfaces in circumferential alignment, and a ring secured to such intermediate deformed portions of the bars.

4. A construction as defined in claim 1, wherein blocks similar in form to the bars areinterposed between the bars and welded in position to rigidly secure the bars.

5. A well screen, comprising a series of substantially rectangular bars extending vertically throughout the length of the screen and arranged at an angle to the coincidental tangential line of the screen, the ends of the bars being deformed to provide the desired width of openings between the edges of the bars and to cause such ends to be arranged in circumferential alignment, and rings secured to the fiat sides of the deformed ends, with the vertical planes of the rings being between theinner and outer margins of the undeformed portions of the bars.

CHESTER E. RECORDS. 

